A tense silence lingered between me and Kang Biso—until the sudden sound of a baby crying broke the mood.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry…”
The woman stood up in a hurry and rushed to the child.
“……”
“……”
Now alone in the living room, the awkwardness deepened into something heavier. I tightened my grip on the book in my hands, stealing a glance at Kang Biso.
“Hyung.”
He called me casually, as if he didn’t sense the tension—or maybe he just didn’t care.
“…Yes?”
“Well, the baby’s crying. Don’t you think it’s about time we head out?”
His offhanded tone only made him seem more suspicious, but I nodded. It wasn’t like I could stay here forever anyway.
I stood and walked over to the woman still soothing her baby, politely telling her I should get going. She didn’t bother to hide her disappointment, but she still gave me a quick farewell and told me to visit again sometime.
Once we left the apartment and made our way back to the park, we sat on a bench in silence. I kept watching him out of the corner of my eye, and Kang Biso, who had been staring at the Book of Wishes in my hands, finally spoke.
“Hyung… do you know something about that book?”
“…No. I’m just… curious about it, that’s all.”
I gave the same vague excuse as before, pretending I didn’t know anything. But Kang Biso wasn’t buying it.
“Then how come you ran straight for it the moment you saw it? Like someone who’d been looking for it all along.”
“That’s just… curiosity. I get fixated on things when I’m interested, that’s all.”
“……”
Even to me, it sounded like a terrible excuse. Kang Biso probably knew that too, but he didn’t press further. He just kept staring at me quietly, eyes glinting with something unreadable.
His gaze made me uncomfortable, and I instinctively turned my head away. He let out a soft sigh.
“Okay then, let me ask a different question. Do you have a wish you want granted?”
Same question, different wording. He must have sensed something from my reaction earlier—maybe he was starting to believe the Book of Wishes might actually be real.
So then, why wasn’t he pressing harder? If he wanted to confirm it, he could’ve just asked outright if the book worked. He could’ve asked if I had any others.
Still unsure what he was after, I answered in a low voice.
“…I do.”
“What is it? If you tell me, I’ll make it come true.”
Kang Biso looked completely confident. He really thought he could grant my wish. And maybe if it were something ordinary, he could have. But my wish wasn’t something that could be granted by anyone—not even him.
“My wish isn’t something a person can fulfill. But… thank you. I appreciate the thought.”
At my gentle refusal, he clicked his tongue with a disappointed smile and held out his hand.
“If I asked to see the book… you wouldn’t show it to me, would you?”
“……”
I looked at his carefully extended hand… then shook my head. His smile turned faintly bitter as he quietly pulled his hand back.
Did he really give up that easily?
It felt too sudden. Suspicious, even. But then Kang Biso raised both hands in surrender.
“Relax. I said I wouldn’t ask for it, didn’t I?”
“…Do you have one?” I asked without thinking. “A wish.”
Why did I ask that? What was I hoping to find out?
“…What do you think?”
“Sorry?”
“If I did have a wish, and that’s why I was interested in the book… what would you think of that?”
“Well, that would be…”
I clenched the book in my hands tighter. I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or just playing games. But what he said next completely disarmed me.
“I’m not interested in that book, so don’t worry. I already have someone who can make my wish come true.”
“Someone else…?”
“And honestly, I’m more curious about what your wish is.”
Kang Biso smiled, bright and sincere, like he had nothing to hide.
“But if you’re not ready to talk about it, that’s okay. Just tell me when you are.”
“…Alright.”
His words put me strangely at ease… but I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He looked up at the sky, then got to his feet.
“There’s something I’ve really been wanting to buy. Want to come with me?”
***
The shop Kang Biso led me to was tucked inside a massive shopping complex. The items on display were all infused with some kind of special ability, and as I looked around, I realized—this was that store. The one that kept getting mentioned in the book. The place characters would visit to buy gifts for the protagonist.
Necklaces, rings… they have everything.
Among the many flashy items, my eyes landed on a ring with a similar effect to the one Kim Seong-gyeong had given me.
Did he buy it here too?
Just as the thought crossed my mind, I checked the price—and nearly dropped the damn thing.
What the hell… This price can’t be real.
Sure, I’d expected it to be expensive. But this? This wasn’t just pricey—it was absurd. The kind of price tag that could easily buy you a whole house. Maybe even two.
So the ring Kim Seong-gyeong gave me… must’ve been just as insane.
That realization hit me like a truck. I’d really been handed something outrageous without fully realizing it.
“Hyung, come here!”
Kang Biso called from the other end of the store, waving me over as he finished talking with the shop owner. When I got closer, he held up two rings for me to see.
“Which one do you think looks better?”
I leaned in to take a closer look. One was sleek black with a faint shimmer, the other a deep, glowing crimson.
Both looked pretty minimal at first glance, but something about the red one caught my eye.
Kang Biso usually wore dark clothes and had jet-black hair… the red would really pop on him. It’d be the perfect contrast.
“This one—the red ring. I think it suits you more.”
“Yeah?”
Without missing a beat, Kang Biso handed the crimson ring to the owner and continued chatting. After a moment, the owner returned and passed the ring back. Kang Biso turned to me and held out his hand.
“Your hand.”
“…My hand?”
Caught off guard, I instinctively offered it to him. But when I saw the grin stretching across his face, I frowned.
That look—like he was treating me like some kind of pet—instantly rubbed me the wrong way. I tried to pull my hand back, but he held it tight and slid the ring onto my fourth finger.
“Knew it. Looks perfect.”
The ring fit like it had been made just for me.
“Why are you giving this to me…?”
Flustered, I took a step back. Kang Biso, still holding my hand, gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I told you I’d get you a better one, didn’t I? Something even nicer than the ring Kim Seong-gyeong gave you.”
He smiled brightly, then held up his own hand—wearing the exact same ring.
“See? We match. Looks good, right?”
The crimson hue shimmered against his bronzed skin, and paired with his radiant smile, the whole image was dazzling enough to knock the breath out of me.
“Y-Yeah… it looks good…”
My voice faltered, and I couldn’t meet his eyes. Kang Biso just grinned wider, clearly enjoying my reaction.
“Same ring. Same finger. Looks like a couple ring, doesn’t it?”
“A c-couple ring?!”
“Come on, it’s on the fourth finger. What else would you call it?”
Couple ring…?
My face went hot in an instant. I felt dizzy just thinking about it. Panicking, I ripped my hand away and practically yelled,
“A-A couple ring?! Don’t joke like that!”
I started to pull the ring off, but Kang Biso quickly grabbed my hand again.
“Hey, it’s just a joke! I’m teasing, okay?”
His voice was playful, but I could tell he was being honest underneath it all.
“It’s a gift. Just take it. It works kind of like the one from before—if you ever end up in danger again, I want you to use it.”
“I’m really fine. This must’ve cost a fortune… I’ll just accept the thought behind it.”
“No way. You accepted a ring from Kim Seong-gyeong, but you won’t take one from me?”
“That’s not the same—!”
“This is a date, isn’t it? A gift from your date. So just take it, please?”
The way he said it—so sincere, so hopeful—I didn’t have it in me to refuse. Reluctantly, I nodded.
If I’d known it would turn out like this… I never would’ve come with him.
***
The sun had begun to set, casting golden hues over the streets as I walked alongside Kang Biso.
He’d asked if we could grab dinner together, but I’d turned him down because of the Book of Wishes.
In response, he insisted on walking me back to the dorm.
I was the one who said I wanted to go home, but… why does it feel like I don’t want this to end?
Something about the way the date was ending left me oddly disappointed. Still, just walking like this wasn’t bad. Especially with Kang Biso beside me, talking nonstop, his face constantly shifting with every little emotion. I kind of liked that.
Before long, the dorm building came into view. Seeing it made me realize the walk was almost over, and without meaning to, my steps slowed. And that’s when Kang Biso suddenly came to a stop.
“…Kang Biso?”
His head was lowered, his posture still. Then, slowly, he looked up—eyes filled with unmistakable disappointment.
“It’s our first real date… I don’t want it to end like this.”
He doesn’t want to say goodbye either…
Knowing Kang Biso felt the same way made something quietly stir inside me—something warm and soft I couldn’t ignore.
But… I still need to check the Book of Wishes.
Caught in the tug-of-war between desire and duty, I looked up at the sky, the last light of day melting into twilight. After a moment’s hesitation, I spoke.
“…I heard there’s a playground nearby. Want to stop by for a bit before heading back?”
“Yes!”
He didn’t even let me finish before answering, his face lighting up in a way that made my chest tighten. Just seeing that smile made me glad I said it.
We turned away from the path leading to the dorm and started heading in the opposite direction. Somewhere along the way, Kang Biso’s hand slipped into mine—smoothly, almost like he’d done it a thousand times before.
I didn’t say anything. He didn’t either. We just walked, fingers laced together, hands swinging lightly between us.
Not long after, a small playground came into view, complete with a slide and two old-fashioned swings.
“Hyung! Over there—swings! Let’s sit!”
His voice was bright and unrestrained as he dragged me along, practically bouncing. Before I knew it, I was being pushed onto one of the swings, and he quickly took the seat beside me.
Honestly, I’d expected us to just sit on a bench somewhere quiet. So when I found myself in a swing instead, I was a little thrown off… but surprisingly, kind of excited too.
I began rocking gently back and forth. It had to be the first time since childhood that I’d sat on one of these. The creaking chains, the cool air brushing past my cheeks—it brought back forgotten feelings, and before I knew it, I was swinging a little harder.
“Pfft.”
A stifled laugh came from beside me. Only then did I remember Kang Biso was right there, watching. Maybe it was the nostalgia, or maybe I’d just gotten carried away, but I’d definitely started acting like a kid.
Embarrassed, I quickly slowed the swing, but Kang Biso’s laughter didn’t stop.
“Hyung.”
And then—
The laughter faded as suddenly as it came. Kang Biso called to me, his voice calm. Quiet.
“…Yeah?”
“…Hwang Seol-bin.”
“……”
He’d called me by name before—just occasionally. We weren’t far apart in age, and it wasn’t like I was uncomfortable with it.
But hearing him say “Hwang Seol-bin” now… it struck something deep inside me. Because yes, I was Hwang Seol-bin.
l But I wasn’t the real one.
I stayed silent, just looked at him.
Kang Biso got off his swing and stepped in front of me, gently grasping the chain to stop mine from swaying. He looked down at me, and for a second, the wind caught his hair and swept it gently across his face.
…He’s beautiful.
He stared at me with a quiet, aching expression, lips parting like he wanted to speak—but the words didn’t come. Not right away.
His mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally found the courage to say it.
“Have you thought about it?”
“……”
“About dating me.”
Time stopped.
I’d told myself I’d figure things out during this date—clear my thoughts, face my feelings. But then the Book of Wishes showed up out of nowhere, and that plan got completely derailed.
I wanted to buy time, to dodge the question, but… I couldn’t. Not when Kang Biso looked at me like that.
His eyes shimmered faintly, like they were holding back something unspoken. Hurt? Hope?
I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what the right answer was.
If I was going to return to my real life… Then the right thing to do was probably to turn him down.
But if I reject him…
He might leave. He might walk away. And just imagining that—imagining Kang Biso gone—left an ache in my chest that I didn’t know how to handle.
Could I really let that happen?
My thoughts spiraled, pulling me inward. I dropped my gaze to the ground and began to speak—slowly, quietly—sorting through the mess of emotions inside me one by one.
“I…”
